Cellphones get moral tune

2005-09-08 11:19

Bangkok - A Thai Buddhist monk has developed "dhamma doctrine", or morality, ringtones for cellphones that will be available on all domestic cellphone networks next week, media reports said on Thursday.

The ringtones, developed by popular monk Phra Phayom Kalayano, will consist of Buddhist mantras such as "Anger is stupidity; fury is madness"; "Compose yourself before answering this call"; and "Don't let mobile phone conversations lead to premature sex and pregnancy."

The dhamma ringtones can be downloaded from the internet, with all profits going to the Wat Suan Kaew Foundation, which provides charity for the poor, The Nation newspaper said.

Phra Phayom of the Wat Suan Kaew, or the Glass Garden Temple, outside Bangkok said he was driven to develop the dhamma ringtones after hearing some "distasteful" tones on teenagers' phones.

"Some sounds seem to provoke unwholesome thoughts, such as the sound of a woman moaning in a sexual manner," he said. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA